INTERACTIVE: Interactive gallery reviewed by John Crowley

HHCL

Until the Cable Communications Association or BT spot the obvious, the

current technical constraints of the Web restricts its use to that of a

catalogue - a very clever catalogue but a catalogue nonetheless.

This is not to demean its value, only to guide how we view it. I believe

the trick with the Web is not to think about what it does but how it’s

used. If we think of the Web as a medium, like TV, we can see how some

sites are like channels and some like programmes.

The HHCL site is like a ‘channel’; its chief proposition appears to be

the delivery of content rather than its creation. An ambition better

served by the Zenith site, I feel. I disagree with Alex Letts (Campaign,

23 February): I think it’s a great ad for Zenith.

Client Howell Henry Chaldecott Lury and Partners

Brief Create a site, originally for internal purposes, which, in time,

will provide a listing of hot links to other sites, such as Tango

Designer Rael Fenchurch, HHCL

Address www.hhcl.com

Adidas

The Adidas site is more of a ‘programme’; it’s one of the few places on

the Web I’ve enjoyed visiting and one of the most important for our

industry. Most accept that the communications revolution is as profound

as the invention of TV, but few know what to do about it. We all want to

make money from it but the big question is how? Everyone wants creative

persuasion but few are prepared to invest in the talent. This is why I

think this site is so important. It’s creative and persuasive; it

appears to run from a Leagas Delaney-managed server and if anyone is

still wondering how to make money from the WWW, follow this agency’s

example and become a media owner; create, manage and broadcast

compelling communications.

Client Franz Brunnberg, head of advertising

Brief Provide another conduit between Adidas and the public

Created by James Waite and Dusty McSheffrey, Leagas Delaney

Designer Les Welch

Produced by Jerry Fielder

Address www.adidas.com

Bristol University

The realisation that making the most from the Web means making agencies

into media owners will not be news to the media owners themselves. When

‘e-cash’ arrives, the media owners will be ready and waiting. The Time

Out site is still the best example of content I would pay for. But

entertainment isn’t the only reason to pay for a site visit.

A more commercially valued example of compelling content is Bristol

University’s site. Having ‘bookmarked’ it, I will return. With the

arrival of electronic cash, who wouldn’t be prepared to pay 50p for a

quick peek at an online library or a guide to eating out in London?

Client Bristol University

Brief Give, in electronic form, all the public information available in

print form, and issue press releases

Designers Ronald Haines, Bristol University; the information strategy is

being reorganised by Richard Sedley

Address bizednet.bris.ac.uk:8080

Direct Debit

From the deliberately insightful Bristol University site to the

deliberately ‘inciteful’ Direct Debit site. Rather cleverly, it’s made a

virtue of the vice that is ‘Web rage’, a condition that occurs after

following hyperlinks through sites that take forever to download and/or

prove a total waste of time. The resulting screaming hatred of all

things gadget has to be experienced to be understood. This site is what

You and Your Spanner is to great consumer publishing!

Consequently, I’m inclined to ask why, what for and does it work? It

seems entirely pointless, facile and irrelevant; but I confess it made

me smile and consequently, at some level, I felt like the messenger.

However, I can’t help thinking its clever sardonic humour is wasted on a

generic service that makes you pay your gas bills on time.

Client Ken Brown, marketing planning manager at BACS

Brief Generate a site that could attract traffic to an intrinsically

uninteresting subject on an intrinsically interesting medium

Created by Paul Ridley at Euro RSCG

Designers Richard Hall and Adam Nealis at Star Interactive

Address www.directdebit.co.uk

Amnesty International

The Web is populated with practical, entertaining, useful and pointless

sites but rarely is it more compelling than when it plays to its

strengths: global communication, one-to-one contact and comprehensive

coverage.

Amnesty International is using these Web attributes to tell of crimes

against humanity. The site details various campaigns and even allows the

armchair dissidents among us to write letters of support to political

prisoners by e-mail. The site is reasonably clear and comprehensive but

greater insight into Amnesty’s endeavours is available on its CD-Rom,

for just pounds 10.

Without fear of censorship, unlimited scope to tell the whole story and

with links to many other worthy sites across the world, the Web is the

perfect medium for Amnesty. Sterling as its efforts are, I can’t help

feeling the site structure and content could be improved.

Client Amnesty International

Brief Disseminate Amnesty information, including official reports and

urgent action campaign material

Designers Ray Mitchell and Mike Blackstock, Amnesty International

Address www.amnesty.org

John Crowley is media communications director of Media Compass

This article was first published on Campaign